Floating dock



arch 11 1924.,

M. MULLER FLOATING DOCK Filed Dec. 22. 1922 Fig. 4

Patented Mar. ll,

MAX Mfl'LLER, 0F HAJ'IBUZRG, GEBIKANY.

FLOATING DGCK.

Application filed December 22, 1922. Serial No.

To all 107109) it may canoe 2%.

Be it known that I. MAX lviiinnnn, a citizen of Germany, residing at Hamburg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Floating Docks, of which the following is specification.

The subject-matter of the present invention is a floating dock having its bottom pontoon formed in such a manner that the dock when freed from its water ballast and moved through the water, presents only a slight frictional resistance and may therefore be moved forward by own power.

With this end in view the bottom pontoon comprises an intermediary or middle compartment and two lateral compartments one at each side of the former; the bottom floor of the middle compartment being at an essentially lower level than the bottom floors of the two lateral compartments carrying each an upright side casing. The lateral bottom floors and the middle bottom floor have between them rather sharp offsets or shoulders wherefrom results that the dock, when freed from water ballast, is dipping into the water only with the middle compartment in the manner of a ships hull the breadth of which is just sutiicient to ensure the necessary stability for the empty dock and to give the possibly smallest resistance to its moving on.

The middle compartment is provided in well known manner with longitudinal bulkheads. The two lateral compartments having their bottom floors at a higher level, are preferably in communication with the adjacent subdivisions of the middle compartment having its bottom floor at a lower level, by means of holes or openings in the partition walls. It is through these openings the lateral compartments discharge or empty automatically of their water contents when the deeper located middle subdivisions are freed from water by pumping.

In small docks of this character, of less than 1000 tons, which for repairing or other purposes may readily be pulled ashore, the middle compartment is constructed to extend as a one-section bottom pontoon, without bulkheadings, throughout the full width of the dock. Owing to this construction, in docking, the entire bottom pontoon will serve as support. The conduit pipes of the pumps are preferably mounted within the bottom pontoon for protection from outside injury.

Apply the above mentioned construction to tl 1g docks of greater dimensions, the ship-shaped middle compartment of th 1 hottonr pontoon, which when the dock is emptied, dips into the water, is provider with means permitting a self-docking of the same.

For this purpose the ship-shaped middle co artment is subdivided in longitudinal direction into several, for example, three compartments each detachably connected to the lateral comoartments of the bottom pontoon. Each of these three sub-divisional compartments may be disconnected from the lateral conriartments and taken up by the i inc; parts the dock for inspection,

or the like.

In order to facilitate the removing and re inserting of the subdivisional compartments, the latter have slightly inclined side walls or in other words a cross-sectional area tapering from above towards below.

When the connecting screws of a sub divisional. compartment of the emptied dock have been loosened removed and the dock is then sunk or let down again by flooding the other compartments, a complete separation of the detached compartment takes place from the remainder of the dock due to the buoyancy of the said detached compartment. The said compartment is to be reinserted in an analogous reversed manner.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings I have diagrammatically illustrated, as an eX- ample, an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation and Fig. 2 a plan view of my improved floating dock.

Fig. 3 shows on a somewhat larger scale a cross sectional view of the dock according to the line lV-IV of the Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the figures.

The bottom pontoon is composed of the middle compartment 1 and the two lateral compartments 2 and 3. The bottoms of the latter extend at a higher level than the bottom of the central compartment, that is to say the side pontoons have less draft than the central pontoon. The said three hull portions or compartments are separated from one another by longitudinal bulkheads 4c and 5. Upon the lateral compartments are arranged the upright side casings 6 and 7. The screw propeller 8 and the helm 9 serve for propelling and steering the dock. No separate engines are necessary for driving the screw propeller. This may be effected by the machinery already existing on board of the dock'for its Working.

The central pontoon structure 1 is crossdivided into three independent sections 1, H and Ill, Whereas the two side pontoons 2 and 3 extend through the full length as uninterrupted structures. Nhen the unloaded or uncharged dock is fully freed from Water ballast, the bottom floors of the two lateral compartments are above the Water level.

If, for example, the snbdivisional compartment 11 shall be docked, the Whole dock is first raised to its unload-Water line, Whereupon the connections (screw-bolts or the like) at the places and ll. are loosened and removed respectively. After this the compartments 1 and Ill being reliably con nected With each other by the lateral compartments 2, 3 and side casings 6, 7, are sunk to such a depth as is required by the draught of the emerging or up-buoying compartment H. The floating compartment Ll being thus separated from its proper place or nest, is then launched above and supported on one of the compartments I or Ill in any appropriate manner, as this is obvious from Fig. 3 Without any further explanation.

T he subdivisional compartments l and HI may be docked in an analogous manner.

I claim:

1. In a floating dock of the character set forth, in combination, a central pontoon and two side pontoons, the latter of less draft than said central pontoon and the decks of the several pontoons normally all in horizontal alinement.

2. In a floating dock of the character set forth, in combination, a longitudinally subdivided central pontoon, and two side pontoons of less draft than said, central pontoon, the decks of the several pontoons normally all in horizontal alinement.

3. In a floating dock of the character set forth, in combination, a central pontoon structure built up of a plurality of independent sections, and side pontoons, these latter of less draft than said central pontoon structure and said central pontoon sections adapted for individual detachment from said side pontoons and from one another.

l. In a self-propelled floating dock of the character set forth, in combination, a central shipshaped pontoon structure, and two side pontoons, all three pontoonsnormally rigidly connected, the said central pontoon being of larger draft than the said side pontoons and comprising a plurality of cellular sections, each one individually detachable from said side pontoons and from one another.

5, In a self-propelled floating dock of the character set forth, in combination,-a multisectioned ship shaped central pontoon structure, and side pontoons, the several central pontoon sections of larger draft than said side pontoons and normally rigidly attached to the latter but capable of being temporarily individually detached from said side pontoons and from one another, and said central pontoon structure presenting side Walls inclined to'taper from top to bottom and said side pontoons presenting inner side Walls of corresponding slant.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MAX MULLER; 

